“It’s a story that Amazon could tell about how they were a part of expediting a city’s growth, a city that is like a phoenix in the fire, moving forward consistently despite all the obstacles,” said Newark Mayor Ras Baraka to the Newark Star Ledger. “We have the amenities of New York, without the problems of New York.”

Newark and the area around the city has developable land for office space and housing — the remains of decades of urban decay that have recently turned to revival, especially in Newark’s downtown. Advocates for the city also point out that its a transportation hub, with top universities and a diverse, highly educated workforce.